I have Nikon D700 and D7000 and I'm now using the RT 4.0.2.2 Window7 64-bit but I'm not able to use CaptureNX2 as my external editor. Even when I save (in a separate folder) the output in 16-bit or 8-bit .tiff file after processing the .NEF file in RT, CaptureNX2 cannot open these .tiff files. CaptureNX2 can open jpeg coming from RT. I only have RT and CaptureNX2, I'm not ready for CS5.

1) Is there a work-around where I can use CaptureNX2 after I have processed the NEF in RT?

I have Nikon D700 and D7000 and I'm now using the RT 4.0.2.2 Window7 64-bit but I'm not able to use CaptureNX2 as my external editor. Even when I save (in a separate folder) the output in 16-bit or 8-bit .tiff file after processing the .NEF file in RT, CaptureNX2 cannot open these .tiff files. CaptureNX2 can open jpeg coming from RT. I only have RT and CaptureNX2, I'm not ready for CS5.

1) Is there a work-around where I can use CaptureNX2 after I have processed the NEF in RT?

Not that I know of. I thought Capture NX2 was the Nikon proprietary raw converter, so it makes sense that it is only set up to process raw/jpeg files from the camera and not do general image editing; though if it handles jpegs it wouldn't be much trouble for them to allow tiff too.

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2) After processing NEF in RT, can I save it again as NEF?

No. The image is already converted out of the raw format into an RGB image, a NEF is a raw data container which holds undemosaiced pixel data.

Just became aware of this software. It seems that any mention of it in this forum is conspicuously absent. Is there a reason?

Perhaps because it's interface is so buggy and quirky as to be useless....

The illogical interface makes RT frustrating-at-best under Windows. I don't know why the author feels the need to make such a non-standard interface.

RT is unusable junk on my Ubuntu system where 3.0a opens in a virtual window that is significantly wider than my real screen. Any attempt to click on any item in the interface causes the virtual window to jump back and forth between left and right justification. Cute.

I've tried RT on several platforms over the years and always wind up deleting the "_#$^@#%$#!% pile of !#%@#$"The program is frustrating - VERY frustrating.

I am a frequent user of RT, and run the development version. I like to follow the development as it happens, and contribute with a bug report now and then.

If I was a professional with high production I would use lightroom because it is smoother to work with and more "fool proof". For fine art production I would possibly use RT anyway, because it has very competent algorithms and gives the power to the user, power to mess things up too. One example is to provide several highlight reconstruction algorithms, which works best depends on the photo, picking the right can give splendid results, the wrong can ruin the picture which you may not detect if you don't inspect the picture thoroughly.

Another advantage of using RT is artistic integrity, you can always find out exactly what an algorithm does, so you feel that you are in total control, there is no "make picture better in some secret way" type of functions.

One improvement I hope for is color accuracy, it is currently a bit difficult to work with portraits due to this. Problem is that you need to make a development effort for every camera model, which is complicated for free software development. ICC handling is improving though so perhaps this can be solved with user contributed profiles based on colorchecker shots eventually. (I actually stopped using the commercial bibble due to poor color accuracy with my camera model.)

Yes, for lesser camera models they probably will suck. For popular entry level fullframe cameras (canon 5d for example) I think there however will be a good chance that we will see good quality. There is a fairly large userbase many which care about quality and have technical knowhow.

RT is also currently getting a new ICC infrastructure which look promising.

I have Nikon D700 and D7000 and I'm now using the RT 4.0.2.2 Window7 64-bit but I'm not able to use CaptureNX2 as my external editor. Even when I save (in a separate folder) the output in 16-bit or 8-bit .tiff file after processing the .NEF file in RT, CaptureNX2 cannot open these .tiff files. CaptureNX2 can open jpeg coming from RT. I only have RT and CaptureNX2, I'm not ready for CS5.

1) Is there a work-around where I can use CaptureNX2 after I have processed the NEF in RT?

2) After processing NEF in RT, can I save it again as NEF?

Thank you very much,george

If RT saves the tif with an alpha channel you will not be able to open it in CaptureNX2. Perhaps there's an option to turn off the alpha channel in RT's save dialog. There may also be an issue with the type of compression being used, try turning off compression as well.

Once you are able to open the tif in CNX2 you can then save it as a NEF. However you will no longer see the "Camera" section in its Develop module since it is no longer a raw image file. Also, the Exposure adjustment in the Quick Fix section will be dimmed (not functional) as it will only work with raw data.

I'm now using the latest RT version (4.0.4.2) for Window 7 64-bit but I don't see the option(s) of turning off the Alpha channel and/or compression. Have you done this? If so, could you please direct me on how to do it in a more specific way? Would you mind explaining the Alpha channel?

I like the selective U-technology of the CNX2. So, right now, after processing the NEF in RT unto an 8-bit JPEG, I open the JPEG in CNX2 and convert it to NEF and continue/finish the processing in CNX2. Obviously, it would be better if I can process a tiff file ouput from RT in CNX2.

I've never used RT but have used other programs that generated tif's CNX2 couldn't open because of an alpha channel. I only suggested looking for the option in RT's save dialog because it would be the first place I'd look, the second place would be in the program's preferences. As a last resort I'd open the tif in Photoshop to remove it there, that's what I had to do. I think simply flattening the image in PS then saving it will do the trick.